Book Club Reading Guides

***Caution: book club questions may contain spoilers.***

Reading Guide for Boston

1) Mac has experienced the greatest losses of her life. It has reshaped her future and goals. Is she better off channeling her grief into something tangible—her business—or should she allow her heart to mend? Is there a time limit on grief?

2) Addiction affects family and friends, not just the individual struggling with it. The fallout from Jeremy's addiction has left Mac's personal life in shambles and her willingness to trust diminished. She has spent years running from the truth in her heart. Would you be able to forgive Anders if you were Mac? Has she forgiven too easily, too soon? 

3) Do you believe in kismet—that something is fated or destined? Is Mac destined to meet Boston in order to heal her heart or is it simply good timing? Have you ever experienced an instant zing or love at first sight?

Reading Guide for Cody

1) Sara is newly separated from her abusive ex-boyfriend. There is a question as to which one of them has legal right to their shared apartment. Is she wrong to flee town before their court date? Is Sara using her grandparents as an excuse to escape to Last Call or is she making a personal sacrifice to check on her beloved grandmother? 

2) Because of her recently acquired distrust in men, Sara views Cody as the enemy, twisting her adolescent memories of him to match her emotional agenda—demeaning and boycotting men (for good reason). Is it a bad idea for Sara to enter into a friends-with-benefits agreement or is it a crucial stepping stone for Cody to earn her trust? Would it be easier for Sara to ignore an emotional connection if she and Cody didn't have a reason to get close?

3) Sara is secretive about her abusive experiences with Roger, refusing to share her feelings of fear and anger. Meanwhile, Cody is cloaking his PTSD with chores and goodwill. Is his vulnerability his way into Sara's heart? Would she view Cody as she does every other man—as a threat—if she were unable to relate to his anxiety?

4) Nan and Pops... Do you agree with their arrangement? Why or why not?

 

Reading Guide for Leland

1) Petra's emotional journey begins with a shocking betrayal. One that magnifies her own flaws as well as those around her. Petra devotes herself to others and, in the process, fails to establish healthy boundaries as her own health is sacrificed. When is a relationship considered toxic? Have you experienced a toxic relationship?

2) Do you find Petra's empathy refreshing or annoying? Why?

3) Petra's relationship with her mother, Wanda, has affected the way she views herself and interacts with men. Can Petra's personal growth and ever-strengthening bond with Leland overshadow her upbringing? When are we old enough—if ever—to consciously make changes and break family cycles?

4) Is Kern's character redeemable?

 

Reading Guide for Jinx

1) In the beginning of Jinx, Esme is coming home months after a freak attack, which has left her suffering from anxiety and mild depression, as well as living with physical limitations. She has lost the life she worked so hard to create. Gaining it back seems impossible. Have you ever invested every ounce of yourself into something only to lose it? Can you relate to Esme's grief or anger?

2) There is a certain level of pressure from society for women to look a certain way. Not too curvy and not too thin, right? But everyone's idea of "perfect" is as unique as a snowflake, whether it comes from their own insecurities or from an industry. Esme struggles with her body image as it reverts back to her naturally thin, athletic build, which is nothing like her vision of a musical siren. Esme's weight loss is symbolic of the lifestyle she has lost, as well as emerging possibilities. So where do we draw the line between the fake-it-til-you-make-it mentality and one's authentic self? Is it damaging to force change and aspire to success that partly relies on physical appearance? Is there a healthy balance?

3) Esme relies heavily on her family for emotional and financial support as she recovers. In the process, her niece and nephew become a rowdy beacon of hope, teaching her the hardest lesson of all: there is no greater medicine than being with those you love. During a time of hardship, has a loved one helped you? Have you helped a loved one?